Constant flowrate water saving valve and shower head using the same

ABSTRACT

A constant flowrate water saving valve comprises a main valve body having a peripheral wall formed with a conical-shaped valve seat surface, a liquid inlet opening on a side of the inner diameter r 1 , a vent flow opening on a side of the inner diameter r 2  and a plurality of liquid radiant outflow openings extending, while intersecting in an axial direction, and a movable valve member received in the main valve body to be movable in the axial direction, the valve being such that when the movable valve member is fully seated on the conical-shaped valve seat surface in the main valve body, a liquid inlet opening side portion of the main valve body communicates with an outside through respective upper edge side opening portions of the plurality of liquid radiant outflow openings and a vent flow opening side portion of the main valve body communicates with an outside through respective lower edge side opening portions of the plurality of liquid radiant outflow openings, and a shower head uses the constant flowrate water saving valve.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to improvements in a constant flowrate watersaving valve used by being attached to the outlet of a channel includinga flow rate adjusting cock, such as a tap, and to a shower head havingsaid constant flowrate water saving valve housed therein. Particularly,it relates to a constant flowrate water saving valve and to a showerhead having the constant flowrate water saving valve housed therein,wherein the flow rate of fluid to be discharged is pre-adjusted to aparticular value in the engineering design stage to make it possible tosave water according to the surroundings in which it is used, andwherein air is sucked and mixed in the fluid during the discharge of thelatter, the mixed fluid being discharged through the shower whileretaining the momentum of its flow.

BACKGROUND ART

As is known in the art, the city water system comprises water tapsattached to individual terminal channels to allow a controlled amount ofwater to be discharged through the spout by turning on said tap. Usersof such city water system often tend to turn on taps to a large extentto discharge a large wasteful amount of water even when they actuallyuse a small amount of water. With the object of preventing wastefuldischarge in connection with the utilization of such city water system,there have heretofore been developed water saving valves intended tolimit the amount of discharge water by utilizing the fluid pressure asthe flow rate increases due to the increasing degree of the opening ofthe tap.

As an example of conventional water saving valve, there is known a watersaving valve for use in flow rate adjusting cocks developed by the sameapplicant and disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model PublicationNo. 41,283 of 1991. This water saving valve for use in flow rateadjusting cocks disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Utility ModelPublication No. 41,283 of 1991 is designed such that when the tap hasbeen closed, the spherical valve body is abutting against a stop memberunder the action of the valve body urging means to shut the fluidchannel, and when the tap is gradually turned on until the flow rate onthe inlet side is W₁, the spherical valve body is axially moved againstthe urging force of valve body urging means until it reaches anintermediate position which lies away from the stop member and whichmaintains a channel between the stop member and a conical shaped valveseat surface, allowing the fluid to be discharged at the flow rate w₁from a fluid outlet opening through the channel between the stop memberand the conical-shaped valve seat surface, and on the other hand whenthe flow rate on the inlet side increases to W₂, the resulting fluidpressure forces said spherical valve body to abut against theconical-shaped valve seat surface against the urging force of the valvebody urging means and thereby close the fluid outlet opening, thusshutting off the discharge of the fluid. That is, according to the onedisclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 41,283 of1991, it is arranged that the outflow of the fluid is shut off at thestage when the flow rate on the inlet side reaches W₂ ; in this pointthe arrangement has an inconvenient side to it.

As for another example of a conventional water saving valve, there isknown a flow rate adjusting water saving valve developed by the sameapplicant and disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open utility Model PublicationNo. 19,743 of 1993. This flow rate adjusting water saving valvedisclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 19,743 of1993 is designed such that when the tap has been closed, the sphericalvalve body is abutting against a stop member under the action of theurging means to shut, the fluid channel, and when the tap is graduallyturned on until the flow rate on the inlet side is W₁, the sphericalvalve body is axially moved against the urging force of valve bodyurging means until it reaches an intermediate position which lies awayfrom the stop member and which maintains a channel between the stopmember and a conical-shaped valve seat surface, allowing the fluid to bedischarged at the flow rate w₁ from a fluid outlet opening and from afluid radial outflow opening through the channel between the stop memberand the conical-shaped valve seat surface, and on the other hand whenthe flow rate on the inlet side increases to W₂, the resulting fluidpressure forces said spherical valve body to abut against the conicalshaped valve seat surface against the urging force of the valve bodyurging means and thereby close the fluid outlet opening, but allowingthe fluid to be discharged from the fluid radial outflow opening. Thisexample of conventional water saving valve has not been adapted to fullyfunction in the matter of the regularity of flow of the fluid. Further,this arrangement requires a valve body urging means comprising a coilspring or the like, thus having the problems that the number of parts islarge and that the construction is complicated.

Further, a conventional water saving valve has been provided which isdesigned such that the fluid outlet opening is simply reduced indiameter (for example, a small hole of about I mm in diameter) ascompared with the fluid inlet opening in the main valve body, in orderto increase the flow rate by reducing the amount of water simply toachieve the saving of water. This conventional water saving valve havingsuch fluid outlet opening of small diameter has the serious problem ofthe fluid outlet opening being choked, requiring regular cleaning inorder to secure the passage through the fluid outlet opening.

Accordingly, this invention relates to improvements in a constantflowrate water saving valve effectively applied in a fluid channelcontaining a flow rate adjusting cock, such as a tap, particularlyextremely effectively applied to a fluid discharge part, such as ashower head, the arrangement being such that a suitable amount of wateris discharged in a state of regular flow which gives a feeling ofaffluent flow under water saving conditions even when the tap isoperated in the direction of maximum degree of opening and such that thefluid is discharged through the shower in a state in which air is suckedand mixed therein during the discharge of the fluid.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In achieving said object, the invention provide a constant flowratewater saving valve comprises a main valve body basically in the form ofa cylindrical body having a peripheral wall, a first inner diameterportion of inner diameter r₁ on one axial end side, a second innerdiameter portion of inner diameter r₂ (r₁ >r₂), a conical-shaped valveseat surface connecting said first and second inner diameter portions, afluid inlet opening on the side associated with said first innerdiameter portion, a ventilation opening of diameter r_(b) on the sideassociated with said second inner diameter portion, and a plurality offluid radial outflow openings of diameter r_(a) extending through theperipheral wall to cross the axis, and a movable valve member axiallymovably received in said main valve body.

In this invention, the constant flowrate water saving valve is arrangedsuch that when said movable valve member comes into perfect valve seatabutment against said conical-shaped valve seat surface, the fluid inletopening in said main valve body communicates with the outside throughthe upper edge-side opening portions of said plurality of fluid radialoutflow openings and the ventilation opening in said main valve bodycommunicates with the outside through the lower edge-side openingportions of said plurality of fluid radial outflow openings.

Further, the constant flowrate water saving valve of this invention isarranged such that when fluid is passed through the main valve body, airis sucked in through the lower edge-side opening portions of said fluidradial outflow openings to be mixed in the fluid being discharged.

Further, in the constant flowrate water saving valve of this invention,said movable valve member is composed of a sphere of outer diameter R(r₁ >R>r₂, R>r_(a)) or a modified sphere provided with a guide memberand having a diameter R₀ (r₁ >R₀ >r₂) extending along an axis which isdirected by said guide member and orthogonal to the central axis.

The invention also provides an arrangement comprising a shower head mainbody having a valve receiving portion,

a constant flowrate water saving valve attached to the valve receivingportion of said shower head main body and having at least one fluidradial outflow opening,

a shower head discharge port attachment having a peripheral wall bywhich the fluid discharged from the fluid radial outflow opening in saidconstant flowrate water saving valve is limited to the direction of theoutflow axis,

said constant flowrate water saving valve comprising a main valve bodybasically in the form of a cylindrical body having a peripheral wall, afirst inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₁ on one axial end side,a second inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₂ (r₁ >r₂), aconical-shaped valve seat surface connecting said first and second innerdiameter portions, a fluid inlet opening on the side associated withsaid first inner diameter portion, a ventilation opening of diameterr_(b) on the side associated with said second inner diameter portion,and a plurality of fluid radial outflow openings of diameter r_(a)extending through the peripheral wall to cross the axis, and

a movable valve member axially movably received in said main valve body,

said constant flowrate water saving valve being arranged such that whensaid movable valve member comes into perfect valve seat abutment againstsaid conical-shaped valve seat surface, the side of said main valve bodyassociated with the fluid inlet opening communicates with the outsidethrough the upper edge-side opening portions of said plurality of fluidradial outflow openings and the side of said main valve body associatedwith the ventilation opening communicates with the outside through thelower edge-side opening portions of said plurality of fluid radialoutflow openings.

The constant flowrate water saving valve according to the inventionarranged in the manner described above operates as follows. The constantflowrate water saving valve is installed in the fluid discharge terminalof the fluid channel, and when the flow rate adjusting cock is operatedat its maximum degree of opening, the fluid from the fluid inlet openingin the main valve body is discharged in a water saving manner from fluidradial outflow openings having a small area of opening as compared withthe fluid inlet opening in the main valve body.

When the spherical valve body comes into perfect valve seat abutmentagainst the conical-shaped valve seat surface within the main valvebody, the side of said main valve body associated with the fluid inletopening communicates with the outside through the upper edge-sideopening portions of said plurality of fluid radial outflow openings andthe side of said main valve body associated with the ventilation openingcommunicates with the outside through the lower edge-side openingportions of said plurality of fluid radial outflow openings, whereby thefluid from the fluid inlet opening in the main valve body is radiallydischarged into the outside through the upper edge-side opening portionsof the plurality of fluid radial outflow openings. On the other hand,when the fluid is passed through the main valve body, external air issucked in through the lower edge-side opening portions of the pluralityof fluid radial outflow openings and gas-liquid mixed fluid isdischarged through the ventilation opening in the main valve body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows concrete examples of the constant flowrate water savingvalve according to this invention; FIG. 1A is a schematic side view, insection, showing a first embodiment thereof; FIG. 1B is a schematic sideview, in section, showing a second embodiment thereof; and FIG. 1C is aschematic side view, in section, showing a third embodiment thereof.

FIG. 2 is used for explaining experimental data on a constant flowratewater saving valve according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 1B;FIG. 2A is a schematic side view, in section, for explainingexperimental data obtained when a ventilation opening 7 in a main valvebody 2 is opened; and FIG. 2B is a schematic side view, in section, forexplaining experimental data obtained when the ventilation opening 7 inthe main valve body 2 is closed.

FIG. 3 shows a concrete example of construction of a hand type showerhead having a constant flowrate water saving valve of the inventionhoused therein; FIG. 3A is a schematic side view, in section, showingvarious components in their separated state; and FIG. 3B is a schematicside view, in section, showing said components in their assembled state.

FIG. 4 is shows a concrete example of the external appearance of a handtype shower head having a constant flowrate water saving valve housedtherein; FIG. 4A is a schematic front view thereof; and FIG. 4B is aschematic side view.

FIG. 5 shows a concrete example of the external appearance of a fixedtype shower head having a constant flowrate water saving valve housedtherein; FIG. 5A is a schematic side view thereof, partly broken away,showing how it is installed; and

FIG. 5B is a schematic sectional side view, with its main portion shownin section.

BEST MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

A constant flowrate water saving valve and a shower head using saidconstant flowrate water saving valve according to the invention will nowbe described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawingsshowing concrete embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 shows concrete embodiments of the constant flowrate water savingvalve according to the invention; FIG. 1A is a schematic side view, insection, showing a first embodiment thereof; FIG. 1B is a schematic sideview, in section, showing a second embodiment thereof; and FIG. 1C is aschematic side view, in section, showing a third embodiment thereof.

To start with, the basic arrangement of a constant flowrate water savingvalve according to the invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C. A constant flowrate water saving valve 1 accordingto this invention is constituted basically by a combination of a mainvalve body 2 and a movable valve member 3 disposed in said main valvebody 2. The main valve body 2 is in the form of a cylindrical body whichhas a peripheral wall 5 forming a conical-shaped valve seat surface 4with an inner diameter changing from r₁ to r₂ (r₁ >r₂) in the directionof flow of the fluid and which has a fluid inlet opening 6 on the sideassociated with said inner diameter r₁ and a reference end surface 8having a ventilation opening 7 of diameter r_(b) on the side associatedwith said inner diameter r₂.

The main valve body 2 has a plurality of fluid radial outflow openings 9of diameterr formed in the peripheral wall 5 with the center of theopenings located at an axial distance L from said reference end surface8, said openings extending across the axis at predetermined angularintervals for example of 90°. The plurality of fluid radial outflowopenings 9 formed in said peripheral wall 5 are chamfered as at 10 and11 along their upper and lower edges, respectively.

The main valve body 2 is provided at its peripheral wall 5 with aradially outwardly extending attaching flange 12 at the end associatedwith said fluid inlet opening 6.

On the other hand, said movable valve member 3, according to the firstembodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, is in the form of a perfect sphereof outer diameter R axially movably received in said main valve body 2.The outer diameter R of said movable valve member 3 in the form of asphere is smaller than the inner diameter r₁ of the main valve body 2but greater than the inner diameter r₂ of the main valve body 2.Further, the outer diameter R of said movable valve member 3 in the formof said sphere is pre-designed to be greater than the inner diameterr_(a) of the fluid radial outflow openings 9 in the main valve body 2.

In contrast thereto, the movable valve member 3 according to the thirdembodiment shown in FIG. 1C is in the form of a modified sphere 3Aprovided with a guide member 3B and having an outer diameter R₀extending along an axis directed by said guide member 3B and orthogonalto the central axis. The outer diameter R₀ of the modified sphere 3A ispre-designed to be smaller than the inner diameter r₁ of the main valvebody 2 but greater than the inner diameter r₂ of the main valve body 2.The shape of said modified sphere 3A is not limited to the one shown inFIG. 1C.

Of the constant flowrate water saving valves according to the invention,the one in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1A is provided with anupper stop member 13 on the side associated with the fluid inlet openingin said main valve body 2 for limiting the axial movement of the movablevalve member 3. After receiving the movable valve member 3 in the mainvalve body 2, the upper stop member 13 is fixed to one axial end side 2aof said main valve body 2, thereby defining the fluid inlet opening 6.On the other hand, a coil spring member CS is incorporated in said mainvalve body 2 for pressing said movable valve member 3 toward said upperstop member 13.

The coil spring member CS is urged in the direction to press saidmovable valve member 3 against the valve seat surface 13a of the upperstop member 13, so that it is displaced in proportion to the magnitudeof the fluid pressure which is external force and is pushed up to aposition shown in phantom line in FIG. 1A when the fluid pressuredisappears. The upper stop member 13 limits the axial movement of themovable valve member 3 received in the main valve body 2 and when anopposite fluid pressure acts on the constant flowrate water saving valve1, the movable valve member 3 abuts against the valve seat surface 13aof the upper stop member 13 to completely close the fluid inlet opening6, thereby preventing backward flow of the fluid.

The greatest feature of the construction of the constant flowrate watersaving valves according to the invention is that the constructionalelements of the inner diameters r₁ and r₂ which determine the angle ofinclination of the conical-shaped valve seat surface 4 in said mainvalve body 2, the outer diameters R and R₀ of said movable valve member3, the inner diameter r_(a) of the plurality of fluid radial outflowopenings 9 formed in said peripheral wall 5, the diameter r_(b) of theventilation opening 7, and the axial distance L from the reference endsurface 8 to the center of the fluid radial outflow openings 9, areselectively designed.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, a preferred example of dimensioningis given: the inner diameter r₁ =9.5 mm, the inner diameter r₂ =4.0 mm,the outer diameter R of said movable valve member 3 is 7.0 mm, the innerdiameter r_(a) of the plurality of fluid radial outflow openings 9formed in said peripheral wall 5 is 4.0 mm, the diameter r_(b) of theventilation opening 7 is 3.5 mm, and the axial distance L from thereference end surface 8 to the center of the fluid radial outflowopenings 9 is 6.7 mm.

That is, by establishing the aforesaid dimensioning relation among theinner diameters r₁ and r₂ which determine the angle of inclination ofthe conical-shaped valve seat surface 4 in said main valve body 2, theouter diameter R of said movable valve member 3, the inner diameterr_(a) of the fluid radial outflow openings 9, in this invention it canbe arranged that when said movable valve member 3 comes into perfectvalve seat abutment against said conical-shaped valve seat surface 4within the main valve body 2, the fluid inlet opening 6 in said mainvalve body 2 communicates with the outside through the upper edge-sideopening portions 9A of said plurality of fluid radial outflow openings 9and the ventilation opening 7 in said main valve body 2 communicateswith the outside through the lower edge-side opening portions 9B of saidplurality of fluid radial outflow openings 9.

The principle of the constant flowrate water saving valve 1 of thisinvention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B on thebasis of experimental data. The constant flowrate water saving valve 1shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B has been designed by incorporating the exampleof dimensioning given above, and the following test was conducted usingthis constant flowrate water saving valve 1. As for the test conditions,said constant flowrate water saving valve 1 was placed in a pipe havinga stop water pressure of 2.5 Kg/cm², a maximum delivery rate of 28liter/min, and an inner diameter of 13 mm, and numerical measurementswere taken at a position 30 cm downstream of the delivery port forcomparison between a first state in which the ventilation opening 7 inthe main valve body 2 is opened as shown in FIG. 2A and a second statein which the ventilation opening 7 in the main valve body 2 is closed asshown in FIG. 2B. When the source cock was controlled to set thedelivery rate at 6 liter/min, the former state provided 100 g, whereasthe latter state provided 70 g. Similarly, when the source cock wascontrolled to set the delivery rate at 5 liter/min, the former stateprovided 70 g, whereas the latter state provided 50 g. Further, when thesource cock was controlled to set the delivery rate at 4 liter/min, theformer state provided 50 g, whereas the latter state provided 35 g.

As a result, it has been confirmed that in the state in which theventilation opening 7 in the main valve body 2 is opened as shown inFIG. 2A, the external air is sucked in through the plurality of fluidradial outflow openings 9 and flows along the channel shown in dottedline in FIG. 2A to be mixed with the water, in which mixed state it isdischarged into the outside through the ventilation opening 7. That is,it has been confirmed that in this case, the mixing of the external airincreases the amount of the discharged fluid by about 30%, wherebyenergy-increased shower water is obtained. The test results describedabove are supported by the phenomenon called aeration.

As for the concrete arrangement of a shower head using the constantflowrate water saving valve 1 of the above arrangement in thisinvention, hand type shower head 21 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and a fixedtype shower head 41 shown in FIG. 5 will now be described in detail.

The hand type shower head shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is basically acombination of a shower head main body 22, a flow rate controller 23 inthe form of the constant flowrate water saving valve 1 received in saidshower head main body 22, and a shower head discharge port attachment24.

The shower head main body 22 is provided at one end side 22a with achannel hose member connector 25 and is connected to a fluid channelthrough said channel hose member connector 25. The other end side 22b ofsaid shower head main body 22 is provided with a constant flowrate watersaving valve installing portion 26 for installing said constant flowratewater saving valve 1. The shower head main body 22 has a channel 27 forchannel-connecting said channel hose member connector 25 and saidconstant flowrate water saving valve installing portion 26. The side ofsaid channel 27 associated with the constant flowrate water saving valveinstalling portion 26 is formed with a movable valve member entrancechamber 28 which said movable valve member 3 enters, whereas the realinner diameter r₃ of the channel 27 is designed to be smaller than theouter diameter R of the movable valve member 3 so as to be able to blockthe entrance of the movable valve member 3.

The side of the shower head main body 22 associated with the constantflowratewater saving valve installing portion 26 is provided with athreaded portion 29 for threadedly connecting said shower head dischargeport attachment 24.

On the other hand, in the hand type shower head 21 using the constantflowrate water saving valve according to the invention, the flow ratecontroller 23 which is one of the structural requisites is constructedby the aforesaid constant flowrate water saving valve 1. A descriptionof the detailed arrangement of this flow rate controller 23 is omittedby substituting the description given above of the constant flowratewater saving valve 1. In addition, in the concrete embodiment shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B, it is not necessary for the flow rate controller 23 tohave a coil spring member CS housed therein. The hand type shower head21 has at least two-axis directionality in its manner of use, and thereis a stop portion 28a for the movable valve member 3 in the direction Ywhich crosses the axis X of the constant flowrate water saving valve 1,so that when said movable valve member 3 assumes a position shown inphantom line, the fluid radial outflow openings 9 and ventilationopening 7 are opened, and dust, rust and the like can be removed fromthe fluid radial outflow openings 9 and ventilation opening 7 when thefluid is discharged.

In addition, in the concrete embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, saidflow rate controller 23 is shown by way of example in combination withthe constant flowrate water saving valve 1 shown in FIG. 1B.Alternatively, it may be in combination with the constant flowrate watersaving valve 1 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C.

In the hand type shower head 21 using said constant flowrate watersaving valve, said shower head discharge port attachment 24 serves tofix said flow rate controller 23 in the channel of the fluid dischargeterminal in the shower head main body 22 and comprises means by whichthe fluid discharged from the fluid radial outflow openings 9 in theconstant flowrate water saving valve 1 functioning as said flow ratecontroller 23 is restricted to the direction of the outflow axis. In thefigures, the reference characters P₁, P₂, P₃ denote packings.

The shower head discharge port attachment 24 is in the form of acylindrical body comprising, at one axial end, a connector 30 adapted tobe threadedly connected to a threaded portion 29 provided at the fluiddischarge terminal of said shower head main body 22, and a valvereceiving portion 31 for receiving said constant flowrate water savingvalve 1, and, at the other axial end, a peripheral wall surface 32 bywhich the fluid discharged from the fluid radial outflow openings 9 inthe constant flowrate water saving valve L is restricted to thedirection of the outflow axis.

In the hand type shower head 21 using said constant flowrate watersaving valve, if said shower head discharge port attachment 24 isdesigned to have a suitable axial dimension, the distance L₁ can bechanged; if the distance L₁ is increased, the radiating angle of thedischarge fluid is reduced, enabling the fluid, at a constant flow rate,to act more strongly on the human body in a spotted pattern. If thedistance L is reduced, the radiating angle of the discharge fluid isincreased, enabling the fluid, at a constant flow rate, to act on thehuman body in a dispersed pattern.

On the other hand, the fixed type shower head 41 shown in FIG. 5 isbasically a combination of a shower head main body 42, a flow ratecontroller 43 constituted by the constant flowrate water saving valve 1,and a shower head discharge port attachment 44.

The shower head main body 42 comprises a channel pipe member 45, anintermediate connecting member 46, and a shower head member 47. Thechannel pipe member 45 is provided at one end side 45a with a wallsurface connecting threaded portion 48 adapted to be attached directlyto the wall surface Wa and at the other end side 45b with a threadedportion 49 for threadedly fixing said intermediate connecting member 46.The channel pipe member 45 forms a fluid channel 50 extending axiallytherethrough.

The intermediate connecting member 46 is provided at one end side 46awith an internal threaded portion 51 adapted to be threadedly connectedto the threaded portion 49 of the channel pipe member 45 and at theother end side 46b with a universal joint head 52 having a sphericalsurface. The intermediate connecting member 46 forms fluid channel 53axially extending therethrough.

The shower head member 47 is provided at one end side 47a with auniversal joint connecting means 54 which is universal-connected to theuniversal joint head 52 in said intermediate connecting member 46 and atthe other end side 47b with an attachment securing portion 55 forthreadedly connecting said shower head discharge port attachment 44. Theshower head member 47 forms a fluid channel 56 axially extendingtherethrough.

The shower head member 47 has constant flowrate water saving valveinstalling means 57 disposed in an axially extending intermediate regionof the fluid channel 56 for installing said constant flowrate watersaving valve 1. The constant flowrate water saving valve installingmeans 57 is composed of a flange 58, a constant flowrate water savingvalve fixing screw member 59, a packing 60, etc. In the case of thisembodiment, said constant flowrate water saving valve fixing screwmember 59 corresponds to the upper stop member 13 in the constantflowrate water saving valve 1 shown in FIG. 1A and functions as an upperstop for the movable valve member 3 of the constant flowrate watersaving valve 1.

On the other hand, in the fixed type shower head 41 using the constantflowrate water saving valve according to the invention, the flow ratecontroller 43 which is one of the structural requisites thereof isconstituted by the constant flowrate water saving valve 1 describedabove. A description of the detailed arrangement of the flow ratecontroller 43 is omitted by substituting the description given above ofthe constant flowrate water saving valve 1. In addition, in the concreteembodiment shown in FIG. 5B, said flow rate controller 43 preferably hasa coil spring member CS housed therein. Since the fixed type shower head41 is always held downward, the movable valve member 3 is urged upwardby the coil spring CS, whereby dust and the like can be removed from thefluid radial outflow openings 9 and the ventilation opening 7 when thefluid is discharged.

In the fixed type shower head 41 using the constant flowrate watersaving valve, the shower head discharge port attachment 44 issubstantially in the form of a cylindrical body threadedly connected tosaid shower head member 47 and adapted to make a telescopic movementwhen turned. If the distance L₂ is increased by turning the shower headdischarge port attachment 44, the radiating angle of the discharge fluidis reduced, enabling the fluid, at a constant flow rate, to act morestrongly on the human body in a spotted pattern. If the distance L₂ isreduced, the radiating angle of the discharge fluid is increased,enabling the fluid, at a constant flow rate, to act on the human body ina dispersed pattern.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the shower head 21 using the constant flowrate water savingvalve of this invention arranged as described above, the fluiddischarged from the fluid discharge port 33 of said shower headdischarge port attachment 24 is as follows. The user connects saidshower head 21 to the fluid channel including a flow rate adjusting cockthrough the channel hose member or the like and opens the flow rateadjusting cock. When the fluid reaches the flow rate controller 23, theconstant flowrate water saving valve 1 of the invention forming the flowrate controller 23 is activated, controlling the amount of discharge offluid reaching the fluid inlet opening 6 of said constant flowrate watersaving valve 1 so as to save water.

In this case, since the constant flowrate water saving valve 1 iscomposed of a combination of the main valve body 2 and the movable valvemember 3 received in the main valve body 2, even if the fluid radialoutflow openings 9 in the main valve body 2 are made relatively large(to the extent which makes choking less liable to occur), it is possibleto throttle the fluid radial outflow openings 9 by the movable valvemember 3 to reduce the substantial hole diameter, thereby saving waterand increasing the flow rate.

That is, when the constant flowrate water saving valve 1 of thisinvention is used by being set in a channel, the movable valve member 3,when subjected to a fluid pressure, comes into perfect valve seatabutment against the conical-shaped valve seat surface 4 within the mainvalve body 2, thereby throttling the fluid radial outflow openings 9,controlling the amount of discharge of the fluid which reaches the fluidinlet opening 6 in the constant flowrate water saving valve 1, so as tosave water.

On the other hand, when the movable valve member 3 comes into perfectvalve seat abutment against the conical-shaped valve seat surface 4within the main valve body 2, the side of the main valve body 2associated with the fluid inlet opening 6 communicates with the outsidethrough the upper edge-side opening portions 9A of the plurality offluid radial outflow openings 9, while the side of the main valve body 2associated with the ventilation opening 7 communicates with the outsidethrough the lower edge-side opening portions 9B of the plurality offluid radial outflow openings 9. In this case also, the fluid brought tothe side of the main valve body 2 associated with the fluid inletopening 6 is radially discharged into the outside through the upperedge-side opening portions 9A of the plurality of fluid radial outflowopenings 9, while the external air is sucked in through the loweredge-side opening portions 9B of the plurality of fluid radial outflowopenings 9 and mixed with water along the channel shown in dotted linein FIG. 2A, in which mixed state it is discharged into the outsidethrough the ventilation opening 7; thus, discharge fluid effectivelycontaining external air can be obtained, and hence the massaging effectand clearing effect during shower can be enhanced.

I claim:
 1. A constant flowrate water saving valve comprising:a mainvalve body in the form of a cylindrical body having a peripheral wall, afirst inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₁ on one axial end side,a second inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₂ on the other axialend side (r₁ >r₂), a conical-shaped valve seat surface connecting saidfirst and second inner diameter portions (4A, 4B), a liquid inletopening on the side associated with said first inner diameter portion, aventilation opening of diameter r_(b) on the bottom wall of the sideassociated with said second inner diameter portion, and a plurality ofliquid radial outflow openings of diameter ra extending through theperipheral wall to cross the main valve body axis, and a movable valvemember axially movably received in said main valve body, wherein whensaid movable valve member comes into perfect valve seat abutment againstsaid conical-shaped valve seat surface, the liquid inlet opening in saidmain valve body communicates with the outside through the upperedge-side opening portions of said plurality of liquid radial outflowopenings and the ventilation opening in said main valve bodycommunicates with the outside through the lower edge-side openingportions of said plurality of liquid radial outflow openings, and theexternal air is sucked in through said plurality of liquid radialoutflow openings and to be mixed with the water, in which mixed state itis discharged into the outside through said ventilation opening.
 2. Aconstant flowrate water saving valve as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid movable valve member is in the form of a sphere of outer diameter R(r₁ >R>r₂, R>r_(a)).
 3. A constant flowrate water saving valve as setforth in claim 1, characterized in that said movable valve member is inthe form of a modified sphere provided with a guide member and having adiameter R₀ (r₁ >R₀ >r₂) extending along an axis which is directed bysaid guide member and orthogonal to the central axis.
 4. A shower headusing a constant flowrate water saving valve comprising:a shower headmain body having a valve receiving portion, a constant flowrate watersaving valve attached to the valve receiving portion of said shower headmain body and having at least one liquid radial outflow opening, and ashower head discharge port attachment having a peripheral wall by whichthe liquid discharged from the liquid radial outflow opening in saidconstant flowrate water saving valve is limited to the direction of theoutflow axis, said constant flowrate water saving valve comprising amain valve body in the form of a cylindrical body having a peripheralwall, a first inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₁ on one axialend side, a second inner diameter portion of inner diameter r₂ on otheraxial end side (r₁ >r₂), a conical-shaped valve seat surface connectingsaid first and second inner diameter portions, a liquid inlet opening onthe side associated with said first inner diameter portion, aventilation opening of diameter rb on the bottom wall of the sideassociated with said second inner diameter portion, and a plurality ofliquid radial outflow openings of diameter r_(a) extending through theperipheral wall to cross the main valve body axis, and a movable valvemember axially movably received in said main valve body, said constantflowrate water saving valve being arranged such that when said movablevalve member comes into perfect valve seat abutment against saidconical-shaped valve seat surface, the side of said main valve bodyassociated with the liquid inlet opening communicates with the outsidethrough the upper edge-side opening portions of said plurality of liquidradial outflow openings and the side of said main valve body associatedwith the ventilation opening communicates with the outside through thelower edge-side opening portions of said plurality of liquid radialoutflow openings, and the external air is sucked in through saidplurality of liquid radial outflow openings and to be mixed with thewater, in which mixed state it is discharged into the outside throughsaid ventilation opening.